Metalware
Metalworking, from heavy weaponry to the most delicate jewellery, has been an established industry in all parts of Malaysia for several centuries, though it is unclear when it first began here. Some archaeological evidence appears to support an indigenous Iron Age and local bronzeware production in the early Bronze Age. Iron ore is mined on a very small scale in parts of Pahang, Kedah, Perak and Terengganu, and has been used for tools and weaponry in Malaysia for several hundred years. The weapon that most epitomizes mystique, tradition, culture and identity is the Malay kris, a unique dagger that has mythically been credited with supernatural powers. The kris is no longer used as a weapon, but it is still a collectable work of art, also serving a ceremonial function on occasions such as weddings and as a part of court regalia.
Base metals such as copper, lead and zinc have been found in Kelantan and Pahang. Copper mining was once a large industry in Sabah. However, Malaysia ceased copper production in 1999. In Peninsular Malaysia, the art of casting brassware (an alloy of copper and zinc) originated in the states of Terengganu and Kelantan around 1700, and was probably introduced from Thailand. Terengganu ‘white brass’ is particularly famous.
Malaysia has no silver mine, but silverware of religious significance from the first millennium CE has been found here. Silversmithing began as an offshoot of the established gold-working tradition. It served the needs of the nobility and was a substitute for more favoured but expensive gold ornaments. The areas of Malaysia most often associated with silverwork are Kelantan, Melaka and parts of Borne
The most abundant metal found in Malaysia is tin. In the late 1840s, rich deposits of tin ore were discovered in the Kinta Valley, Perak, and in the Klang Valley, Selangor. Chinese immigrants journeyed inland to work in the mines and to prospect for new fields. A thriving pewter (an alloy of tin and other metals) industry became established and Malaysian pewterware is highly acclaimed internationally.
Small veins of gold exist in Malaysia, though the country imports large amounts to make jewellery and other objects. Gold mining ceased at the end of the 1800s. Historically, aside from its use as currency, the crafting of ornaments and jewellery developed during the 17th and 18th centuries, largely due to the patronage of Malay royal courts. Today, the sale and manufacture of gold jewellery is a large industry in Malaysia.
For all types of metalware, early local master craftsmen achieved high standards of workmanship, although often using simple homemade tools. Metalware craftsmanship suffered a recent decline. However, the government and the Malaysian Handicraft Development Corporation, among others, encouraged a revival of classic forms of metalworking and the reinvigoration of traditional crafts.
